1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of food preparation devices and vending systems. More specifically, preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to an automated system for preparing and vending individual pizzas for consumption.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Pizza is a very popular food in many countries throughout the world. Although pizza is a relatively simple food, having generally just three ingredients in its most basic form—dough, tomato sauce and cheese, there are many variations in the taste and quality of the finished, cooked pizza. There are also a number of ways of preparing and cooking pizza. The most common and typical method of preparation and cooking is what is referred to as “fresh” pizza. This method generally involves the flattening of the dough, placement of the sauce and cheese on the dough, and subsequent cooking in an oven. Once removed from the oven, the “fresh” pizza is consumed while it is still hot or warm.
The popularity of pizza has led to many different methods of preparation and cooking in order to provide pizza to consumers in many different forms, such that it is available for consumption in virtually any place. The typical method of preparation and cooking, as outlined above, is generally performed in a pizza parlor, restaurant or an individual's home, where the ingredients, as well as an oven, are available. The pizza is then consumed at the pizza parlor, restaurant or home, whichever is more convenient. However, this typical method of preparation and cooking requires one to have the necessary ingredients available, and to also have an oven available for use. These requirements restrict the availability of “fresh” pizza.
Several approaches have been developed to address these requirements of pizza preparation, i.e., the requirement for the necessary ingredients, and the requirement for the oven. One such approach involves the use of frozen pizzas. This approach eliminates the requirement for having the necessary ingredients on hand. Instead, the prepared, frozen pizza, which can be purchased at a store ahead of time and stored in one's freezer, can then be cooked in one's oven at any convenient and desirable time. However, the use of frozen pizzas still requires one to have access to an oven. Also, the resulting pizza is sometimes not of the same quality as “fresh” pizza, i.e., where the ingredients are assembled together and then cooked right away.
Another approach that has been developed in order to make pizza more readily available in more places is the use of vending systems or vending machines. These machines typically use pre-stored, frozen pizza which are then cooked in an oven within the vending machine and then dispensed to a customer. This approach eliminates the need for having the necessary ingredients and for having an oven available. However, such vending machines typically use frozen pizza as the starting point. As a consequence, the resulting pizza produced by such a machine is not really considered “fresh” pizza, nor does have the taste of “fresh” pizza.
Yet another approach to preparing pizza by way of vending machines is the use of fresh ingredients in order to better provide what is considered a “fresh” pizza. Such machines are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,921,170 and 6,086,934, both to Khatchadourian et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.